Gang-rape victim's family welcomes court's decision

New Delhi, Feb 2 (IANS) The Delhi gang-rape victim's family welcomed a court's decision for accepting 13 charges by Delhi Police against the five accused Saturday.

When an IANS correspondent informed the victim's family of the fast-track court's decision, the father of the 23-year-old woman said that he was happy about the decision.

"I feel that the five accused, except of the sixth who is a juvenile, will be convicted by the end of Feb," he said.

The victim's younger brother told IANS: "I request to sentence the five accused to be hanged."

"My sister wanted to the accused to be burnt alive. My family's wish is to hang five of the six accused. In case of the sixth accused, who was declared a juvenile by a juvenile justice board, police should approach the higher court for his bone ossification test," he added.

The woman died Dec 29 in a Singapore hospital where she had been airlifted for specialised treatment.

The father of the 28-year-old male software engineer, who was brutally beaten by the accused on the fateful night when they boarded a bus Dec 16, also told IANS that they welcome the court's decision.

"My son, the only eyewitness in the case, will appear before the fast-track court Feb 5. He will tell the court what had happened that night," the father, who is a lawyer, told IANS.

"I think the decision will come soon as the trial will be held in a fast-track court," he said.

He said that they would challenge the decision of the Juvenile Justice Board that said the sixth accused is a minor. A juvenile justice home had declared the sixth accused to be a minor Jan 28 after examining his school certificate produced by his school's principal.

"As per law, a complainant can challenge the decision of the Juvenile Justice Board before a sessions judge within 60 days," he said.

Justice Yogendra Khanna framed the charges under 13 sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against five accused in the gang-rape case.

The six were arrested a few days after the gang-rape. Five of them were sent to judicial custody. The sixth was sent to a juvenile justice home as he claims he is a minor.

The five accused are Ram Singh, a bus driver; his brother Mukesh; Pawan Gupta, a fruit seller; Vinay Sharma, a gym instructor, and Akshay Thakur, a bus cleaner. They have been charged with murder, attempt to murder, gang-rape, unnatural offence, destruction of evidence, kidnapping, causing hurt while committing robbery, dacoity with murder and common intent, among others.